Synopses & Reviews
Learn how to achieve more by doing less! Live in that zone you’ve glimpsed but can’t seem to hold on to—the sweet spot where you have the greatest strength, but also the greatest ease.
Not long ago, Christine Carter, a happiness expert at UC Berkeley’s Greater Good Science Center and a speaker, writer, and mother, found herself exasperated by the busyness of modern life: too many conflicting obligations and not enough time, energy, or patience to get everything done. She tried all the standard techniques—prioritizing, multitasking, delegating, even napping—but none really worked. Determined to create a less stressful life for herself—without giving up her hard-won career success or happiness at home—she road-tested every research-based tactic that promised to bring more ease into her life. Drawing on her vast knowledge of the latest research related to happiness, productivity, and elite performance, she followed every strategy that promised to give her more energy—or that could make her more efficient, creative, or intelligent.
Her trials and errors are our reward. In The Sweet Spot, Carter shares the combination of practices that transformed her life from overwhelmed and exhausting to joyful, relaxed, and productive. From instituting daily micro-habits that save time to bigger picture shifts that convert stress into productive and creative energy, The Sweet Spot shows us how to
• say “no” strategically and when to say “yes” with abandon
• make decisions about routine things once to free our minds to focus on higher priorities
• stop multitasking and gain efficiency
• “take recess” in sync with the brain’s need for rest
• use technology in ways that bolster, instead of sap, energy
• increase your ratio of positive to negative emotions
Complete with practical “easiest thing” tips for instant relief as well as stories from Carter’s own experience of putting The Sweet Spot into action, this timely and inspiring book will inoculate you against “The Overwhelm,” letting you in on the possibilities for joy and freedom that come when you stop trying to do everything right—and start doing the right things.
Advance praise for The Sweet Spot
“Illuminates the simple and sustainable path toward a precious and happy balance.”—Deepak Chopra
“A gift, like a good friend drawing a personal road map out of the crazy busy swirl of our overloaded lives.”—Brigid Schulte, author of Overwhelmed
“This book did something I thought was impossible: It seemed to give me more time.”—Martha Beck, author of Finding Your Way in a Wild New World
“A page-turning thriller full of proven ways to have the life you want.”—Rick Hanson, Ph.D., author of Hardwiring Happiness
“Timely, lively, and vital, The Sweet Spot is an immediately useful must-read.”—Shawn Achor, author of The Happiness Advantage
“The Sweet Spot inspired me to make immediate changes that have increased my productivity and lowered my stress.”—Dan Mulhern, president, Granholm Mulhern Associates
“A must-read for every overworked executive, overwrought parent, or overscheduled human being.”—Jennifer Granholm, governor of Michigan, 2003–11
Synopsis
Christine Carter, Ph.D., is a sociologist and happiness expert at UC Berkeley’s Greater Good Science Center, an interdisciplinary research center that “translates” the study of happiness, resilience, and emotional intelligence for the public. The author of the bestselling Raising Happiness, Dr. Carter blogs regularly for Greater Good, The Huffington Post, and Psychology Today. She has appeared on The Oprah Winfrey Show, The Dr. Oz Show, Rachael Ray, The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, Today, and NPR, and has helped thousands of people lead happier and more productive lives through her lectures and online classes. Her e-newsletters have more than fifty thousand subscribers. She lives with her husband, children, and stepchildren in Berkeley, California.
About the Author
Feel like you’re on a treadmill that won’t stop? Learn to step off and hit your stride.
Not long ago Christine Carter, happiness expert at UC Berkeley’s Greater Good Science Center, speaker, writer, and mother, found herself caught up in the busyness of modern life: too many conflicting obligations and not enough time, energy, or patience to get everything done. She tried all the standard techniques—prioritizing, multitasking, delegating—but found that she needed a new approach, one that would allow her to live more in that zone we’ve all glimpsed but can never seem to hold on to: the sweet spot of expertise, efficiency, and ease. Drawing on her vast knowledge of the latest psychological, neurological, and biological science related to happiness, productivity, and elite performance, Carter put herself through the practical paces. Her goal was not to live a stress-free life, but rather to build stress resilience and find a quicker path to calm and confidence.
Her trials and errors are our reward. In The Sweet Spot, Carter shares what she calls “the sweet spot equation,” a combination of strategies and practices for attaining happiness without giving up success, and for achieving success without compromising happiness. Using a simple formula, The Sweet Spot shows us how to
• take a brief recess, an inoculation against “The Overwhelm” and the key to converting stress into productive and creative energy
• institute daily micro-habits that free you up to focus on and enjoy more important things
• unplug from seemingly time-saving gadgets that can sap our strength, and use technology more strategically
• prioritize our relationships, making use of the hard science that points out how healthy connections help us thrive.
• cultivate tolerance for a little discomfort while we build mastery (the skills that make hard things feel easy) and develop the grit to bounce back from life’s inevitable setbacks
Complete with practical “easiest thing” tips for instant relief as well as stories from Carter’s own experience of putting The Sweet Spot into action, this timely and inspiring book lets us in on the possibilities for joy and freedom that comes when we stop trying to do everything right—and start doing the right things.